Hollywood has long had the tendency to look
towards the foreign film market for new ideas to replicate, but Daniel Cohen’s
lighthearted culinary comedy is a French film which seems to be imitating the
bubbling simplicity of an American comedy. Realism and originality are thrown
out the window for a carefree romp in the cinematic world of French
haute-cuisine. While this approach is likely to keep Le Chef off of any lists
for artistic achievements, it makes for an engaging evening of entertainment.

Not unlike a
dish of comfort food, Le Chef offers
predictable pleasure in the form of clichés and tradition. Fans of cinema are
unlikely to find any new twists to the familiar formula, but that won’t deter
many viewers from the comfort of a typical comedy narrative. Seasoned chef
Alexandre Lagarde (Jean Reno) is in danger of losing his restaurant to a new
world of molecular gastronomy in food, stuck in his old habits of cooking. It
takes the enthusiastic ambition of a self-taught aspiring chef named Jacky
(Michaël Youn) to reignite Lagarde’s passion for food, pulling him away from
the complacency of success and celebrity.

There are
elements of the film which are more grounded, such as Lagarde’s struggles
connecting with his college-age daughter. Jacky also has a series of sitcom
scenarios play out with his pregnant girlfriend, including hijinks to hide a
secret and a disastrous drunken proposal involving a personalized dessert. The
main focus of the film, however, is on the whimsical adventures in food
experimentation. The portrayal of molecular gastronomy in food is comically
exaggerated, which can also detract from the presentation of truly delicious
looking food. And isn’t that the main indulgence of cooking films?

The Blu-ray
release includes a high definition presentation of the polished-looking comedy,
along with a handful of deleted scenes, a featurette, and a blooper reel in the
special features. There is also a trailer.